The Celtics/Miami series feels like it just ended (and still stings) and here we are at the start of another Celtics season. The Celtics hold their annual media day today, hold their first practice tomorrow, and then head to Turkey early next week.

The Boston Globe allows Shaughnessy to write his columns in such as a way as to be trolling his audience. I have come to the conclusion the only way Dan could be fired is if he murdered someone, and even then the Globe would probably allow Shaughnessy one more column to taunt the family of the person he killed.

Tony Massarotti had an epic meltdown yesterday over people who insist he is nothing more than Mike Felger’s yes-man and lapdog. (Who says that??) The most amusing thing was his insistence that Felger is always right and that’s why he doesn’t disagree with him! He’s also sick of everyone coming after him just because they hate Felger.

Way to dispel commonly-held notions, Mazz.

No one is saying that Massarotti needs to automatically take an opposite stance. That sort of contrived debate is just as annoying. But when Felger is on one of his insane conspiracy theories, how about grilling him a little? Making him explain things. How does he know this? Ask what is to be gained by the Patriots freezing out Welker? Why would they do it? Why are the Patriots cheap? Why would they not want to win? In what ways have the Jets passed the Patriots in organization building and as a franchise? (Oh wait, that was two years ago.)

Show some skepticism over what Felger says once in a while, instead of blindly agreeing with every damn thing the guy says. Work at it a little bit. Not only would Mazz shed the lapdog image, it would actually make for better radio.

The Red Sox played their last game of the 2012 season at Fenway Park and fitting with how the season has gone it was another loss. The fell to the Rays 4-2, thus being swept in the brief two-game series. The Red Sox finished the year 34-47 at home, their worst record at Fenway since 1965. It was also the first time since 1997 the team finished the year with a sub .500 record at home, and it was also the last time a team finished below .500 overall as well. Could this have been the last game Bobby Valentine manages at Fenway Park?

The team followed up Tuesday night’s honoring of the 2004 World Series team with a pre-game ceremony naming the All-Fenway Park team. The team included 40 Red Sox players voted on by the fans as well as the organization. It was a very good mix of players from many decades, past and present, many of whom were on hand Wednesday night for the ceremony. Unlike Tuesday night’s ceremony honoring the 2004 team, this was a very nice way to wrap up the 100th anniversary of the Red Sox and not a PR stunt to try and attract fans to a meaningless game. If there is one thing to be said about the 2012 Red Sox is they do know how to put on a great pre-game ceremony, which have gone on throughout the year.

After three days of replacement referee talks, the league and the refs finally reached a deal late Wednesday night and the refs will reportedly be ready to go for tonight’s Ravens/Browns game. All I can say is, it’s about time.

Chris Mortensen is reporting at this hour that the is an agreement is “in hand”between the NFL and the officials and that the regular refs could be back on the field this weekend.

Patriot defense didn’t look revamped in first test – Greg Bedard’s film study reveals among other things, that Devin McCourty actually played his best game in some time. (Wait, D&C told me it was the worst performance by a Patriots player in franchise history.)

Bedard, by the way, had a marathon Twitter stream-of-consciousness last night where he weighed in on how the defense and schemes that the Patriots employ make it difficult – nearly impossible – for the cornerbacks to succeed. He noted that some of them don’t even fully understand the rationale for the things they’re asked to do.

NFL’s TV partners didn’t hold back on the refs – In a special edition mid-week media column, Chad Finn notes approvingly that networks like NBC and ESPN have not held back from being critical of the league for how it has handled the replacement referee situation.

The best show on radio this week has been Gresh and Zo and their even-handed analysis of the Patriots and of the officials. It’s been refreshing to hear someone in the media acknowledge that the referees did have a huge impact on the Patriots losing that game on Sunday night.

It seems most try to dismiss that by saying that the Patriots had plenty of opportunities to put the game away and failed to do so. (Can’t you say the same about the Packers? Shouldn’t the juggernaut Packers have scored more than 12 points against the Seahawks?) The defense made some plays which were wiped out by horrific flags. Everyone is saying that the Patriots didn’t get a single sack or hit on the QB, but they got to Flacco late in the game, sacked him for a loss, and a defensive holding penalty was called on Brandon Spikes. If you look at it again, Spikes engages Dennis Pitta, but releases him prior to the 5 yards allowed. The ball was at the 10, and you can see below that at the 5, Spikes has already released him. Pitta kept his own hand on Spikes’ shoulder and pulls him forward.

The flag was then thrown on Spikes. Had the sack held up, it would’ve set up 3rd and goal from the 22, but instead it set up 1st and goal from the 5. On the next play, Flacco hit Smith for the TD. That’s one example, but really, it’s the turning point of the game. (apologies to the NBC Sports Network show which will tonight air what their own turning point of the game was.)

There were of course many other calls throughout the game, but this was the most damaging and egregious to the Patriots.

Yes, this is blatant yahoo homerism,(on my part) but I don’t think you can just dismiss what happened here in this game. Between this and the holding on Gronkowski against the Cardinals which negated the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute, it’s a tough 1-2 that the Patriots sit at right now.

A few other links:

It could be a Field of Dreams again – Sean McAdam says that seeing the 2004 club return last night should show us that a turnaround from a disastrous season can come faster than you might think.